Browsing by Author "Fernandez-Cisternas, Italo"

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    Redescription of the Chilean angel shark Squatina armata (Philippi, 1887) (Squatiniformes, Squatinidae)
    (2024) Kraft, Sebastian; Fernandez-Cisternas, Italo; Araya, Miguel; Concha, Francisco J.
    Angel sharks ( Squatina spp. Dum & eacute;ril, 1805) are a group of coastal benthic sharks distributed worldwide, currently including threatened and understudied species. Two species are formally described along the East Pacific coast, the California angel shark S. californica Ayres, 1859 and the Chilean angel shark S. armata (Philippi, 1887). The latter species occurs in the southeastern Pacific and has historically been understudied. Additionally, the original description of S. armata lacks sufficient data to confidently identify individuals of this species compared to modern descriptions, and no type specimen is currently available to ensure specimen identification. Detailed morphological descriptions for identifying species are an essential resource for solving taxonomic issues in groups of morphologically similar species and to promote the conservation of critically endangered species. Therefore, a neotype from the type locality is here designated for S. armata , and a detailed and standardized morphological characterization based on modern taxonomic works is provided. This work contributes in improving the knowledge on the Chilean angel shark taxonomy and provides an improved frame of reference for identifying angel sharks in the East Pacific, especially in areas where species may occur in sympatry.
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    The intensity of kelp harvesting shapes the population structure of the foundation species Lessonia trabeculata along the Chilean coastline
    (2021) Gouraguine, Adam; Moore, Pippa; Burrows, Michael T.; Velasco, Eliana; Ariz, Luis; Figueroa-Fabrega, Luis; Munoz-Cordovez, Rodrigo; Fernandez-Cisternas, Italo; Smale, Dan; Perez-Matus, Alejandro
    Kelp are foundation species that support high levels of biodiversity and, either directly or indirectly provide a wide range of ecological goods and services to human society. In recent decades, due to the high demand for kelp-derived products such as alginate, commercial wild harvesting has increased, leading to declines of kelp biomass in some regions. Chile accounts for 40% of the global kelp harvest, with the subtidal kelp, Lessonia trabeculata being one of the main target species. Currently, however, there is a lack of information on how different degrees of harvesting intensity, governed by distinct management regimes and their enforcement influences L. trabeculata populations. Here we examined the effect different management regimes, characterised by distinct levels of exploitation of kelp and kelp-associated fauna, have on L. trabeculata density and morphology along similar to 1600 km of the Chilean coastline. The findings demonstrated that harvesting intensity likely influences both L. trabeculata density and morphology. Juvenile density of L. trabeculata was five times higher in the most harvesting-affected areas, while kelp morphology values, including holdfast diameter, number of stipes and total length, were always higher in the less-intensively harvested areas. Our study suggests that different degrees of protection can influence density and morphology of subtidal L. trabeculata populations, which in turn has important implications for the conservation of the kelp forest ecosystems and management of this important fishery.